Police Officers Not Directly Charged In Death Of Breonna Taylor

LOUISVILLE, KY — Former Louisville police detective Brett Hankison has been indicted by a grand jury with wanton endangerment for shooting into neighboring apartments during the March 13 police raid in which Breonna Taylor was killed. Charges have not been made against the two other police officers involved in her death: Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove.

No charges were filed directly in connection with Taylor's death.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said Wednesday witnesses told investigators all officers knocked on the door of the apartment occupied by Taylor, a Black EMT, and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker.

"It was not served as a no-knock warrant," Cameron said.

He said Mattingly and Cosgrove were justified in their use of force due to Mattingly having been shot at by Walker.

The grand jury decided to charge Hankison for "wantonly" placing the people in the apartment in danger. There's no evidence any of the 10 bullets he fired struck Taylor, Cameron said.

Hankison, who was fired by the Louisville Metro Police Department in June for his role in the case, was charged with three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, a felony that is less serious than murder or manslaughter. If convicted, Hankison could be sent to prison for up to five years for each charge.

Taylor, who was 26, was shot and killed as part of a narcotics investigation, when Hankison and two other officers fired multiple gunshots into her home. Her death has sparked protests across the country.

Protesters in Louisville and across the country have demanded justice for Taylor and other Black people killed by police in recent months. The release in late May of a 911 call by Taylor’s boyfriend marked the beginning of days of protests in Louisville, fueled by her shooting and the violent death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25.

Wednesday's sole grand jury indictment led to backlash from public officials, among others, that the charges against Hankison alone were not enough.

"Our criminal justice system is racist," Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Democratic candidate for president in the 2016 and 2020 primary seasons, said.

"Breonna Taylor’s life mattered. This result is a disgrace and an abdication of justice."

Earlier this week, the city of Louisville declared a state of emergency and canceled all days off for police officers in preparation for protests coming from the decision announcement.

There is a 9 p.m. curfew in the city Wednesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.